An ale brewed with a ridiculous amount of pureed raspberries (over a ton of 'em!). Fort has a Belgian-style base, then we follow a similar fermentation process to the one we use on our other super-high ABV beers, 120 Minute IPA and World Wide Stout.

Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Appearance: Slightly hazy deep claret in color, with a small head, which soon fades away. Modest carbonation drifts lazily to the surface. The lacing is faint.

Aroma: Intense notes of raspberries and vinous alcohol

Taste: Begins with over-the-top raspberries and vinous alcohol. The alcohol is quite warming and by no means subtle. The raspberries, tart and juicy play off against the strong and spicy alcohol, with neither dominating. Both the raspberries and alcohol intensify as the taste progresses. The alcohol brings the taste to a graceful close.

Mouthfeel: Very soft, full, velvety, with a texture similar to that of port wine.

Drinkability/notes: Stunning and elegant, for me, comparisons to port wine are inescapable. Its a pity that Fort is no longer made, I cannot think of a more elegant accompaniment to a holiday dinner than this. This was 2008 vintage.

Presentation: Packaged in a one liter Belgian-style brown glass bomber, sealed with a pry-off cap, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice, though a champagne flute might have been equally appropriate.

This pours a dark, deep inviting red color, with a very small head, and basically no lacing.

Smells really, really, raspberry forward, even 7 years later. It's incredible. Just rich raspberry, tart and sweet at the same time, with some raspberry seed flavor, along with some slight booziness, but nowhere near the aroma I'd expect from a beer of this ABV.

Tasting this, I can hardly believe it's 18% ABV. The booze has basically subsided, only leaving a slightly spicy warming feeling at the end of each sip. Otherwise, there's just a genuinely wonderful raspberry flavor, I can't believe how much raspberry is here even all these years later- there's clearly a deft brewing hand here. Say all you want about Dogfish Head- this is an insane, killer beer. I can't say it's exactly complex- if you're looking for nuanced flavors, or really any flavors other than raspberry, you'll be looking for a while. However, the raspberry flavor they managed to capture here is just outstanding, and that's impressive enough for me.

This is fairly thick bodied, with a juicy, crisp mouthfeel, almost pulpy in a way. There's a lower level of carbonation. It's really drinkable, and honestly doesn't even need to be a sipper. At this age, it's so easy to put down. You gotta be careful though- if you drink too much of it, you'll be knocked right on your ass.

This is one of the best DFH beers I've ever had. It's coming back out again soon, I'll have to put down for 6-7 years before trying it again.

If you like raspberry juice smacking you in the face and giving you Type 2 Diabetes...this is the beer for you. Not in the same sweetness league as Serendipity, but it has less depth, not terrible...not the best.

Appearance: Pours a dark amber orange color with less than a finger of an off white head, that dissipates to a thick collar and wispy foam coating. Body is relatively clear with a good amount of visible carbonation

Taste: Follows the aroma pretty closely with sweet, tart raspberries being the most prominent. Following that are notes of dark fruit, booze, red apple and a caramel like malt. There’s a mild Belgian yeast undertone as well (almost like a Belgian blonde turned WAY up) but is overshadowed by the more assertive flavors.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with a thick, sticky, syrupy mouthfeel and medium levels of soft carbonation. Sweet, but not cloying, with a light raspberry tartness in the finish to balance it out. Not sure of the ABV for this batch, but for an 18-ish % beer, this is dangerously drinkable (but obviously still a sipper).

Overall: This has been a strange, random want of mine for quite a while, so it was nice to finally be able to tick this. With that said, the beer itself was a pleasant surprise as the reviews on this seem to be quite mixed. While it’s not a beer that’s super complex, it is a (REALLY) big ass raspberry beer with big flavors, that accomplishes what it’s going for and (most perhaps most impressively) does it without being a boozy mess.